With Matchday 3 behind us, attention now turns to the fourth round of UEFA Champions League (UCL) Fantasy.
In this article, we’ll take an early look at some of the standout picks for Matchday 4, highlighting the players and teams worth considering ahead of the next deadline.
Remember, managers still putting the finishing touches to their squads can also get plenty of help with our UCL Fantasy Toolkit.
There’s free stuff in there for every UCL manager but, as ever, Chief Scout Members can dig even deeper.
From player points projections and underlying statistics to the Fixture Ticker, Rate My UCL Team feature and Draft Tool, it’s all here to help you build your Matchday 4 squads.
GOALKEEPERS
LASK are one of four sides with a 30% chance of keeping a clean sheet heading into the Matchday, making goalkeeper Lukas Jungwirth (€4.5m) a reasonable budget option.
If Jungwirth fails to deliver a decent return on the opening day, Viking could provide an alternative. They host Champions League newcomers Sabah, giving Arild Østbø (€4.5m) an opportunity to keep a clean sheet.
DEFENDERS
With few teams offering convincing clean-sheet prospects this Matchday, attacking potential could prove particularly valuable when selecting defenders.
Inter’s Federico Dimarco (€5.0m) stands out in that regard. After breaking the Serie A assist record last season, the wing-back has already registered 15 shots and created 20 chances domestically. A favourable fixture against Feyenoord gives him another excellent opportunity to deliver attacking returns.
Arsenal top the projected clean-sheet rankings this week, having already recorded eight shutouts across all competitions. The Gunners face Slavia Praha, making Gabriel Magalhães (€6.0m) an appealing option. His recent goalscoring form adds another route to points. Ezri Konsa (€4.7m) also makes the cut following his recent attacking return.
Borussia Dortmund rank among the top three teams for projected clean-sheet probability ahead of their home meeting with Real Betis. Centre-back Waldemar Anton (€4.5m) offers a relatively inexpensive route into their defence, with his regular starting role providing additional reassurance.
Sporting CP will hope to bounce back from their defeat to LASK when they face Shakhtar Donetsk. Their opponents have failed to score in two of their previous three matches, making Sergi Altimira (€4.0m) an interesting budget option. Listed as a defender but operating in midfield, he offers potential value as one of the cheapest regular starters in the game.
MIDFIELDERS
Barcelona rank among the top two teams for projected goals this Matchday, making their attacking assets particularly appealing ahead of the home clash with Aston Villa. Raphinha (€9.7m) offers penalty and set-piece potential, while Lamine Yamal (€10.2m) has already registered 14 goal contributions in La Liga this season. Both make the cut.
Lens have conceded at least twice in each of their opening three Champions League matches, making their defence one to target. Nicolás Paz (€7.0m) looks the standout option from Como’s attack after his outstanding performance last time out. The midfielder collected 20 points thanks to two goals, an assist and the Player of the Match award.
Viking’s 3-3 draw will arguably go down as one of the significant shocks of the tournament. That game showed us how good Viking can be when playing at home, and this week they host Sabah. Because of this, talisman and penalty taker Zlatko Tripic (€5.8m), who has produced a goal and two assists already this campaign, could be an excellent option.
See Olise’s Bundesliga form above
No side has a higher projected goal tally this Matchday than LASK. They’ve impressed going forward, scoring three times against both Sporting CP and Liverpool, and now face a vulnerable Slovan Bratislava defence. Christoph Lang (€4.5m) could offer excellent value, particularly when deployed in a more advanced role than his usual position.
FORWARDS
Luis Suárez (€7.3m) is one of the few players to have scored in all three Champions League matches so far this season. That makes the Sporting CP forward an appealing option ahead of the clash with Shakhtar Donetsk. His domestic form has been equally impressive, with eight goals and one assist in just 10 league appearances. Those numbers underline why he is currently among Europe’s most in-form strikers.
He joins Kylian Mbappé (€11.0m) in the Scout Picks attack. Real Madrid have scored four goals across their previous two matches and look capable of producing another strong attacking display. Mbappé should benefit from that form, having already demonstrated his potential in Matchday 2. The Frenchman scored, assisted and collected the Player of the Match award.
Serhou Guirassy (€8.6m) completes the forward line and ranks among the leading attackers for projected points. Borussia Dortmund host Real Betis, who conceded twice across their opening two Champions League fixtures. Guirassy has once again demonstrated his explosive potential in this competition, scoring braces in two of his previous three appearances.
SCOUT PICKS
